Introduction/Shoutout

During the production of this guide, I am also actively playing Twitch to find favorable matchups, as well as doing numerous tests to figure out optimal builds for carrying in solo queue. I will update this guide as I go, and I hope you all enjoy the journey as I update and optimize this guide and make it the best and most descriptive Twitch Jungle Guide on Mobafire!

The first off-meta jungler I played was Twitch back in Season 4, right after the Visual Update, so he's always gonna hold a special place on my roster and, honestly, he is a load of fun to play!

This guide is pretty much inspired by Aqua Dragon 33, who pretty much gave me the confidence to go out and do off-meta picks. Shout out to Jay, check out his stream, he's a great player and a really nice guy. Go give him some love!

Rattata

Coming in second place for League's favorite Pokemon is Rattat--- I mean, Twitch. Typically played in the botlane as a Marksman, Twitch gets most of his power from his ability to shoot people and make his opponents smell like Aunt Juanita. However, if we take a closer look at the scaling on his abilities, we can find another use for the little green rat, a Sneaky Sneaky Carry Jungler.
Now, I know what you're thinking, WHY WOULD I TAKE A MARKSMAN INTO THE JUNGLE THAT'S SO BAD REPORTED!
Hear me out, here. Two years ago, if someone told you that Graves would be a top-tier Jungler, Nautilus would be a top-tier support, and that we have a giant Catfish...frog...thing as a playable character, you'd probably think they were full of horse dooky. Yet, look at where we're at. Also, Twitch jungle isn't really that crazy of a thing right now. The ability to just stealth into a lane with red buff and and smite an enemy with Challenging Smite, combined with whatever forms of CC your laner has, it actually causes a huge disturbance in the force.

Runes

Runes

Greater Glyph of Attack Speed9

Greater Mark of Attack Speed9

Greater Seal of Armor9

Greater Quintessence of Attack Speed3

This is preference. I just like the armor penetration, and after doing efficiency charts with Rageblade and Runaan's, there's no need for the attack speed that was previously in the runes.

Masteries

Masteries

5/5

1/1

5/5

1/1

5/5

1/1

5/5

1/1

5/1

1/1

Now, this bit was were a lot of time was put in. I had a lot of success with Fervor of Battle , it allowed for more sustained fights and was pretty decent. However, I wanted to just straight up eliminate enemy carries from fights, making me decide on Thunderlord's Decree . The sheer amount of Burst you get from it is just disgusting, not to mention the damage over time effects you will have, its going to make assassinations easier, or just extra burst in team fights that will decide the difference between a kill and a death.

Runic Affinity : This actually is a damage buff, believe it or not. It allows for your Crest of Cinders to remain on you for longer, allowing for more efficient ganks.

Oppressor : This, while combo'd with your Venom Cask or Crest of Cinders is absolutely deadly, allowing you to deal 2.5% more damage from all damage sources. This means all the true damage you're dealing, your auto-attacks, Contaminate, everything. Very powerful on most assassin champions.

Items

Twitch does have a few builds that make him a fairly large threat in most team fights, or even when he's just split pushing away waiting for a fight to break out. Right now, we're going to break down all of the basic item choices, as well as give alternatives.

Youmuu's Ghostblade: With the heavy Tank meta we're in right now, Armor Penetration is very valuable. Youmuu's Ghostblade is one of the strongest items on Assassins right now, simply because it gives you everything you need. Cooldown Reduction, AD, Armor Pen, Move Speed, Attack Speed. It does everything! It is truly a powerful item on the sneaky little rat.

Mercurial Scimitar: This item is just nearly perfect defense to CC, even if you take the damage the abilities dealt to you, you get a decent amount of Life Steal. Not to mention the fairly high amount of damage you get from this, being a defensive item. Overall, it's fairly staple in most assassins/AD-Carries.

Blade of the Ruined King: Back to the reason Youmuu's Ghostblade is built, the tank meta is making life hard for assassins and marksmen alike. The bonus health-based damage BotRK gives is extremely useful for whittling down tanks, and excessively useful for evaporating squishy carries.

Runaan's Hurricane: This is possibly my favorite item for Twitch, either making him a monster in team fights when ahead, or an extremely efficient split pusher when the team needs pressure, this item never fails me for efficiency. The synergy with Rat-ta-tat-tat
is astounding, making quick work in teamfights, or even cutting off and catching out multiple enemies that thought they escaped. It actually energizes very well if you or a teammate has built a Zz'Rot Portal. Having a portal placed in a side lane, then pushing the other, makes your enemies have to think twice about how to initiate, especially since you can get a wave pushed to enemy base in a matter of seconds, then be back to fight just as fast with your Ambush.

Dead Man's Plate: Now this is the weirdest item on this build path, but let me explain. It's purely for the health, the armor, and the bonus movement speed to create extra synergy with your Ambush. Admittedly, it's a fairly experimental item, but so far in testing its proven to be valuable when escaping, initiating, or catching someone out for a quick and easy assassination.

Farsight Alteration: This trinket is possibly the best trinket for Ranged champions, assassins, split pushers, all the like. Being able to scope out bushes, objectives, lanes, etc. The item is just good. If nobody on your team has built it yet, definitely build it yourself. Vision wins games.

The early Boots of Mobility is to make sure you're maintaining pressure on lanes by being able to gank very fast and very often. The synergy with your Ambush is insane as well. Don't need to worry about getting Enchantment: Devourer early, since you're not getting it for the Phantom Hit passive, you're purely getting it for the attack speed.

After Runaan's Hurricane you will be able to be a very big presence in team fights, as well as a deadly fast split pusher. Building based on your teams situation is basic, if you need defense, build defensive items. If your team is about even with the enemy team, build more damage and wait out for team fights. It's pretty basic when you start getting a feel. If your team is behind, your best bet is to try to find ways to help your team come back, be it helping people get fed or farmed, motivating them, etc.

Team Fights

Important things to remember:

For the first few seconds of a team fight, you have 850 range for your auto-attacks, use this wisely to ensure the most damage gets applied to the enemy carries, keeping them from fighting.

Wait for a hard initiation, don't ult instantly just because someone gets hit with an ability, or hooked by someone. If they initiate on your team, use your ult to peck the back line as your tanks defend you from their tanks.

Don't forget the reset! Your Ambush resets if somebody dies while affected by your Deadly Venom! Use this for re-engages, escapes, or chases!

Try to line your empowered auto attacks up with their team, hitting as many targets as possible!

Weaknesses

Although you are a threat in the early game, if you're not using your early pressure to secure towers or Dragons, you will be prone to falling off. If you're going to try carrying the game, either by getting your team fed or getting fed yourself, Gold is very important. Getting counter jungled in the early stages will be very hurtful to your item progression. It is fairly difficult to fall too far behind as Twitch, since all you really need on him to start being a threat is Runaan's Hurricane, but if it happens you're gonna find yourself AFK farming for a good 6-8 minutes until you catch up.

Strengths

Even thought he is an Enchantment: Devourer jungler, Twitch isn't limited to needing farm to gank well, he's got insane damage early game. He's got incredibly easy ganks, and the amount of pressure he can put on the enemy jungle is crazy.
In the mid game, he's basically a regular ADC Twitch that got free farm all game.

Synergy with Other Champions

(Coming Soon)

Pros / Cons

Pros

Astounding early pressure

Doesn't need much to start helping

Doesn't need to power farm for Sated, since all Enchantment: Devourer is used for is the extra attack speed, meaning he can be in lanes much more often.

The amount of damage he puts out with Crest of Cinders is disgusting, if not getting kill in the early game it is certainly getting Summoner Spells.

Extremely powerful ganks post-6.

Cons

Pink Wards.

Very susceptible to invades early.

Even though he can apply a lot of pressure, Levels 3-5 are pretty hard to cause as much pressure as other junglers.

Very squishy, I mean, you're a rat after all.

No real escapes. Ambush can be used but if you're taking damage from a Deathfire Touch or any other Damage-over-time effect, you probably won't be going invisible and you'll most likely die.

League of Legends is a team based, real time strategy game set in a mythical world of swords & magic where epic battles decide the fate of mystical nations. Game players take on the role of a Summoner who conjures and controls champions to fight for them at the Institute of War. During game play champions gain experience and items to enhance their skills and abilities. How players develop and play their champions can be the difference between a crushing defeat or a glorious victory!